1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to work vehicles, and in particular to agricultural tractors and the overall configuration thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Planting, cultivating and many other current crop-growing practices require extreme precision in maneuverability, which makes visibility a critical function. Making the way around farmsteads, and narrow-row farming also require excellent maneuverability.
Tractors with mechanical front wheel drive (MFWD) and very large front tires suffer from poor maneuverability. This has been exacerbated by the trend to ever closer tire spacing, e.g., for 30 inch rows, which is possible with the adjustable spacing of tires on most current tractors. In addition, visibility inside the front tires of tractors has steadily decreased since the John Deere 4020 tractor went out of production in the early 1970s. Finally, serviceability of tractors has been lost over the years due to added complexity from operator enclosures, MFWD, air conditioning, and the like. All current major manufacturers' designs have these problems.